


Queen Anne's Lace

by KLWylder



Category: Bleach
Genre: Character Death, Explicit Language, M/M, Male Slash, Violence, also fluffy cuteness too, don't read if squicked easy or if you have triggers, its not all bad, like a lot of graphic character death no joke
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 13:07:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7685740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KLWylder/pseuds/KLWylder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Crossdressing!Hanataro owns a flower shop that yakuza boss!Kenpachi is dragged into it by a mischievous Yachiru. Everything is just a cute and fluffy romance just waiting to happen until strange and gruesome murders start happening to people they know and love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First of Many

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is dedicated to Keryous Seastrider (FF)/PeridotWraith (AO3). She asked me to do this prompt (Crossdressing!Hanataro owns a flower shop that yakuza boss!Kenpachi is dragged into by Yachiru who wants some snacks) for her birthday like a lot of years ago and I started it, lost my progress due to tech errors, and lost my muse, which has what allowed it to sit dormant for so long. I also contorted the original prompt into a whole new demon because I’m crazy (and apparently a masochist) so here is an AU Bleach fic where I’ll be using the characters to fit my writing needs and hopefully create something cool with them. Sorry this took so long.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenpachi is dragged into a cute little flower shop by a mischievous Yachiru and ends up meeting someone that he isn't likely to forget anytime soon.

Chapter 1. The First of Many

Tucked away in the corner of a discreet back street in the Kujaku District of Seireitei, Japan was a small and unobtrusive little shop. The only thing marking it as a business was a bland colored sign above the door that read Ban Garden. The poor little shop went virtually unnoticed due to the bright and extravagant fireworks shop right next door. Most of the flower shop's customers were usually people who stumbled into the shop on accident, thinking it was an extension of the fireworks shop, but the owner of the flower shop didn't mind, actually preferring the shop’s inconspicuous nature. The shop was simple on the outside but its interior was a picture of beauty. The large variety of colors, shapes, and smells made the shop bright and inviting and that's what made its regular customers love it so much. Many were saddened because it had so little business when it had so much potential. Many questioned the owner and wondered why he didn't relocate to somewhere where it would get more customers. The owner just smiled a small, shy grin and told them that it was loved and preferred exactly where it was and would remain that way. However the boss of the Kujaku District, the business district, disagreed with the owner. The flower shop wasn't bringing in a large allotment of profits and so he wanted to close the flower shop and sell it to someone who would turn it into something that would complement the fireworks shop better. While the owner of the shop was a somewhat gullible and clumsy person and usually didn't stand up to others due to his shy and kind nature, he was very adamant about his shop and fought with the boss or his lieutenants quite frequently. Today just happened to be one of those very days.

“Yamada-kun, Ban Garden simply isn't bring in enough money to fit the requirements set when we first discussed opening this shop. Compared to the other businesses around here, your shop is practically a nonentity. I have given you two official warnings as of yet and countless of unofficial ones. Though I respect your business and how alluring it is, it just is not equating to the level that the other businesses in this area have set and I will be forced to close it if you do not find a way to increase profits expeditiously.” The district boss argued, it wasn’t often he had to make a “visit” in person but this particular business owner was quite the finical one when it came to the shop. Byakuya had tried to cut the flower shop owner a break, he really had, but he had quotas to meet and that meant having to make hard decision sometimes.

“Kuchiki-sama, please! The people around here love this place. It brings smiles to the faces of anyone who walks through the door. It's a homey and lively shop set in a place of high end contemporary ones and you're going to lose that feeling of serenity if you close down this shop. This shop does perfectly fine for what it is in the terms of profit. I don't understand why you are so obstinate in the termination of this shop!” Hanataro argued.

“This is my final word Yamada-kun. Increase your profits or I am shutting you down.” Byakuya said with finality and with that he swept out the door with his second lieutenant, Hitsugaya Toshiro in tow. Toshiro was not much more than a mere boy but everyone said he was quite the protégé and had risen quickly in rank. Byakuya's first lieutenant however, remained behind and stared at Hanataro for a few long moments before speaking.

“I disagree with Kuchiki-sama. A pretty little lady like you should be able to keep a beautiful shop like this without having to compete and be threatened by larger companies. I do hope you find a way to bring in more money. It would be such a shame for this place to be closed.” said Abarai Renji before he too was gone. Hanataro plopped down into the nearest chair and let it head fall into his hands.

“What am I going to do?” He questioned the empty air around him.

“Kenny! Kenny! This way, come on!” A small, pink haired girl whined. She was pulling at the hand of a very large man whose intimidating presence caused most to coward in fear but the pink haired girl knew better.

“I'm comin' ya little rugrat. What's got you so excited anyway?” Kenpachi asked, having long gotten used to her antics.

“I'm hungry and want a snack!” Yachiru exclaimed. Several minutes later Kenpachi was pulled into a small, discreet shop. It wasn't anything special. He probably wouldn't have even noticed it if Yachiru hadn't been pulling him through the door. Immediately the sweet aroma of flowers assaulted his nose, he grimaced.

“Seriously Yachi, you have got to find a different snack. Preferably something that’s actually edible, like food.” He said.

“But the colorful plants are delicious Kenny!” She exclaimed loudly.

“Stop yelling Yachi. Use your in-door voice.” He told her, half wondering if some irate owner was going to come jumping out of the shadows and tell him to take his noisy child out of there. The misunderstanding had happened before and it usually didn’t end well for those who made the mistake. Yachiru could be genuinely frightening when she wanted to, though it almost never happened.

“Okay Kenny!” She yelled, causing Kenpachi to sigh. Yachiru ran up to the front counter and jumped onto it, but before Kenpachi could reprimand her, she started pounding on the little bell on the counter.

“Hana! Hana! Do you have any snacks today?” She yelled in the direction of the back room.

“Just give me a second Yachiru.” A whimsical voice called back. A few moments later a person appeared from behind the green hanging.

“Ah, here's my favorite customer. Here for your snack Yachiru? You're later than usual.”

“Yes please. Yours are always so delicious Hana-chan and we’re late because we got lost. I told Kenny to take that left but he took a right and got us lost. We eventually found our way here though.” Yachiru giggled.

Kenpachi had been hanging back amongst the flowers and trying to remain unnoticed (he was not hiding by the way) but his curiosity got the best of him and he moved closer to the conversing pair. Yachiru was still sitting on the counter waiting patiently for her snack and behind the counter was probably the prettiest girl Kenpachi had ever seen. That was saying something too as he wasn't a stranger around the Inoshishi District, to say the least. She was small in stature and had soft blue eyes and bluish black hair. The left side had a small clip holding her bangs out of her eyes and her right ear held a small white flower with a hint of yellow at its center. She was wearing a white, lacey tank-top number and light bluish gray, short shorts that made her legs seem to run on for miles. Much to Kenpachi's surprise (and outrage), he felt a small blush heat his face at the site before him. Before he could start to drool, however, the girl grabbed an apron off a hook by the doorway and tugged it on, covering most of her body from Kenpachi's view. He sighed in (disappointment) relief.

“I'm sorry, I didn't noticed you there. Is there anything I can do to help you?” she asked. Kenpachi couldn't answer around the lump in his throat. There were many things she could do to help him, none of which were appropriate for the situation. He was saved from answering by Yachiru.

“Oh, that's Kenny. He's with me but not important at the moment. That's a pretty flower Hana, can I have one?” Yachiru asked.  
“Oh this?” She asked fingering the flower in her hair. “This is a Freesia _alba_ , its native to the Republic of South Africa. Pretty isn't it?”

“Yup, very pretty Hana-chan, just like you. Can I have my snack now?” She asked politely but impaciently.

“What do you say?” Hana asked.

“Please!” Yachiru begged.

Hana chuckled. “Well since you asked so nicely Yachiru, a batch of honeysuckle coming right up.”

Hana walked around the counter and to a section of the store housing bright yellow flowers and Kenpachi couldn't help but stare at the girl’s ass as she walked by and also when she bent over to select a bundle of the flowers, honeysuckle he assumed. It was a nice ass and he never claimed he was an upright man who would otherwise deny themselves the pleasure of looking. He quickly tore his eyes away when she turned back to them and handed Yachiru her “snacks”.

“Here you go Yachiru.” She smiled sweetly.

Yachiru squealed in excitement and started eating. Kenpachi rolled his eyes at her ludicrous behavior and reached into his pocket to pull out a wad of cash.

“How much do I owe you, uh, Hana-kun?” He asked her. The first words he'd spoken since entering the shop. Hana turned to him and really looked at him for the first time, before smiling widely.

“Oh, my name is actually Hanataro and you don't owe me anything. Yachiru here wondered into my shop a while back and started eating most of the flowers. I eventually convinced her that she could have all the flowers she wanted as long as she asked first and used her manners. I've never charged her anything. I guess I have a thing for pretty ladies.” she said, winking at Yachiru. Yachiru laughed and jumped off the counter to run over and jump into Hanataro's waiting arms. She apparently knew Yachiru very well then, Kenpachi concluded.

“See Kenny! Hana-chan gives me these yellow snacks that taste really good! Hana-chan is super nice and pretty too.” She stated matter-of-factly.

“That she is.” Kenpachi agreed intrepidly. Hanataro blushed deeply and shifted Yachiru to her hip.

“Are you sure there isn't something I can help you with?” Hanataro asked, trying to change the subject before he passed out from all the blood rushing to his head to heat his face.

“Nope, I just wondered where the munchkin was disappearing to during the day and ended up being dragged here by a little pink monster. I now see why she comes here every day. The view is unlike any other.” Kenpachi grinned cheekily, unabashedly flirting.

“Hey!” Yachiru exclaimed. “I'm not a monster!”

Hanataro giggled. “You’re a very menacing monster Yachiru. If we don't give you what you want then you might eat us like you eat my flowers.”

“That's not true!” She argued.

Their playful batter was interrupted by a shrill ringing and Kenpachi realized that it was his cell phone, his work phone to be exact. He grimaced at the interruption and took a few steps away before answering the call.

“What?” He growled.

“Boss we gotta problem.”

“Can't you figure it out yourself for once?”

“Um, I think you're going to want to be here for this one Boss. Trust me on this.”

“Fine!” Kenpachi exclaimed. “I'm heading that way now.” He might have accidentally cracked the screen a bit when he slammed his phone shut, or a lot. Oh well, he could get a new phone later.

“Problems?” Hanataro asked.

“Yeah, there's some troubles at work.” He answered tersely. He held out his arms and Yachiru immediately jumped into them and climb around to perch on his shoulder.

“Work?” Hanataro asked.

“Kenny is going to play with the people who threaten the Kaiju District, aren't you Kenny? Because you're the boss, everyone has to listen to you.” Yachiru asked trying to be helpful but instead made the situation worse. Kenpachi mentally groaned, damn, now the cats out of the bag...

“Wait...you're Zaraki Kenpachi, boss of the Kaiju District?” Hanataro asked with wide, fearful eyes as she backed away slowly.

Damn it Yachiru! Kenpachi thought. “Yeah.” He answered gruffly.

“I'm so sorry Zaraki-sama. I apologize for being so rude. Please forgive me Zaraki-sama.” Hanataro stammered as she bowed. “Feel free to have anything from the shop, free of charge.”/p />

“Now don't be getting' all formal on me Hanataro. I hate that prestigious shit.”

“I'm sorry Zaraki-sama.” She said again, bowing once more.

“Now look what you've gone and done Yachiru?” He growled, clearly angry. First he was interrupted by stupid Ikkaku, demanding his presence for some unknown reason, dragging him away from the beautiful lady he'd just met. Then Yachiru had to go and screw everything up further by announcing his identity and scaring the pretty lady away. Everything had started out great only to go to complete shit. What a day.

“Damn it! Never mind, l have to go. See you around some time Hanataro.”

“Have a good day Zaraki-sama.” Hanataro called after him.

Not fucking likely Kenpachi thought to himself.

“Hanataro!” A crude voice called from the back of his shop. That could only one person.

“In the front Ganju!” He called back. Hanataro stood staring off into space, thinking about a certain dark haired man. The whole situation had been defiantly odd and confusing and had left butterflies in his stomach.

“What's up otouto?” Ganju asked. The older man worked for his sister at Shiba Fireworks right next door and was very protective of his friend. Hanataro was small and far too kind, easy to take advantage of. He needed someone to protect him. Especially since everyone thought he was a girl because of how he dressed.

“You look like you've fell in love. Did a new shipment of flowers arrive?” Ganju teased. He would often find Hanataro waxing soliloquies about his new found love when a fresh batch of flowers would arrive.

“Love?” Hanataro stammered. “I'm not in love. You're just imagining things.” He waved his hand dismissively and scurried over to one of the arrangements and started adjusting the flowers almost obsessive compulsively.

“Then what's got your panties in such a twist?” Ganju asked. He crossed his arms and put on his you-better-tell-me-or-else look, Hanataro caved because while he was brave, he was also weak under pressure and lacked overall self-confidence (when it came to anything but his shop).

“I, uh, just had a long and civil conversation with a district boss without knowing he was a district boss until just before he left. He was, um, quite handsome– I mean interesting, he was quite interesting and while he thought I was a girl he didn't treat me like I was some fragile piece of glass or immediately try to get into my pants. Although he did flirt, a lot, I think. It was nice.” Hanataro's voice had dulled to a whisper by the time he'd finished talking.

Ganju bellowed out a laugh but that was to hide his unease. None of the district bosses were good news, they were yakuza members, even if they did run the city better than the officials ever could. Everyone knew who really ran the city but played ignorant since it benefited everybody, however it wasn't too wise to get caught up in that kind of mess. Especially for his innocent otouto (and he wasn't kidding when he said innocent). This was Hanataro he was talking about though, he didn't just develop romantic feelings for just anybody being the shy and awkward person he was. Ganju wanted to gauge the playing field before running into battle.

“Well who was the lucky guy that caught my little brother's eye?” Ganju had accepted the fact long ago that Hanataro was interested in men or that he liked to wear woman's clothing. It was just something Hanataro did. He was one of the select few who knew that Hanataro was a boy though, not that he was hiding it or anything. Hanataro just made a very convincing girl and didn’t bother to correct those who thought otherwise.

“Um, I don't want to say nii-chan. You'll get mad and over-protective.” Hanataro said quietly.

Ganju's faux good mood disappeared then. “Who is it?” He questioned, instantly on guard.

“It's, um, the...” The rest of what was said was whispered and mumbled.

“What'd you say Hanataro?” Ganju asked.

“I said, it was the Kaiju District boss, Zaraki Kenpachi.” He said in a rush.

“WHAT!” Ganju screeched, rattling the windows of the shop with his volume.

Kenpachi was not a happy person at that moment. He slammed the door behind him as he walked through it and it shook the whole wall, cracked the doorframe, and made a priceless vase fall to the floor and shatter into a million sparkling pieces. One of the maids appeared out of the shadows and cleaned up the mess without being seen or heard, for she knew her fate if she were to attract the attention of an enraged Zaraki-sama. The rest of the attendants of the house also heard the commotion at the front of the house. The Boss is home, they all thought, and if he isn't on a rampage already, he will be when he finds out what happened. So far they’d held off on calling Tosen and his men. Ikkaku and Yumichika, Kenpachi’s first and second lieutenants, were the first people to work up to courage to face the fuming man.

“Now Boss-” they started in unison.

“What the fucking hell was so important for you to call me while I was out!” Kenpachi screamed. The anger radiating off the man was startling. Kenpachi wasn't the type of person to get angry over small things. Whatever he must have been doing before the phone call must have been important, thought the pair.

“Well?” He screeched when they weren't immediately forthcoming with an answer.

“Kenny you need to calm down, now.” Yachiru commanded. “Obviously they called for a reason and it must have been important, they'd never call otherwise. They don't want to anger you further when you're like this. Calm down so they can tell you what they have to say.” Then she leaned into his ear and whispered.

“Think of Hana-chan, Kenny.”

At the thought of Hanataro the anger just seemed to melt off the man, disappearing completely. Ikkaku and Yumichika glanced at each other, wondering just what Yachiru whispered into the Boss's ear to get him so calm so quickly.

“Ikkaku, report.” Kenpachi commanded.

“Well sir, I think you just better come see it for yourself. I don't think I can put it to words.”

Kenpachi growled in annoyance but followed his lieutenants to where ever they were leading him. The sight he was met with caused him to gasp in surprise and outrage.

Muguruma Kensei, one of Kenpachi's close and personal friends, was dead.

Technically, Kensei was listed as one of the Kaiju District's Big Brothers, though he didn’t care to do much of the require paperwork of that position and yet retained that standing because he and Kenpachi were good friends and spar buddies. Everyone knew when Kenpachi was out, Kensei's word was law. The two were really good friends. While Kenpachi liked to fight now and ask questions later, Kensei had integrity like no other and always fought for the justice of people. Kenpachi had even joked that he would do better in the Hae District than he would in the Kaiju District and Kensei had just said that they needed somebody willing and strong enough to keep them all in line. Kenpachi had laughed at Kensei's words, like Kensei could ever be strong enough to keep Kenpachi Zaraki in line, hell nobody could. The two friends were like two sides of the same coin, they complimented each other so completely.

Seeing his friend as he was damn near broke Kenpachi. He turned away from the sight in front of him and puked his stomach's contents right at the shoes of his lieutenants, who just happened to be standing at his right. His lieutenants were shocked so much by his reaction that they didn't even register their soiled shoes. The Boss, the Kaiju's District boss, Kenpachi Zaraki, was puking at their feet. Their boss, the big and bad Zaraki-sama who never lost composure over anything, especially not the sight of something as simple as a dead body, had completely lost it at the sight of his dead friend. Not that they really blamed the guy, they'd done the exact same thing when they'd seen it. The poor servant who'd originally found the body had fainted and was currently awaiting transportation to the Namekuji District, still unconscious.

Kensei's body had been completely mutilated and was laying prone in a large puddle of his own coagulating blood. Tachikaze, the knife he always kept on his person, was still clutched in his left fist showing that he'd tried to fight his attacker, but was unsuccessful. The back of the man's ankles had been slashed to the bone, most likely so he couldn’t escape from his attacker. His mouth didn’t contained any sort of obstructions nor was his throat slit, meaning that his attacker had known what he was doing. Kensei's rooms were soundproof, something he'd requested as soon as he'd moved in, claiming he had horrifying nightmares that often caused him to wake up screaming, and he didn’t want to constantly wake the entire manor due to his affliction. If his attacker had this information then that meant this wasn't just some amateur job. The killer knew to take the man in his rooms where his screams wouldn't have been heard and where the crime would most likely have the greatest emotional impact. Kensei's right hand was completely missing, leaving only a bloody stump in its place. Kenpachi could also see Kensei's small intestine trailing out about 7 feet from his body; he'd been gutted. His whole body had cuts and scratches but all of that combined wasn't even the most gruesome part of the scene before him. Jutting out of the dead man’s back and arms were a dozen or so thick cylindrical protrusions. Skin, blood, and muscle were smeared all over the foreign objects, showing any possible viewers they'd obviously been forced into the man’s back one by one and most of them probably while he was still alive. The pain must have been unimaginably excruciating considering how thick they were. Blood was smeared all over the walls, some in splatters and some obviously sloppily smeared on like paint, like a child's finger painting. On the east wall, above the bed, was a message written in the blood plastered on there.

_**He is the first of many.**_ It read. _**Who will be the next to play?**_


	2. The Brewing Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenpachi is feeling a little lost and ends up wondering back to a certain someone's flower shop. Things heat up before a protective friend ruins the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N – And we're back to another great chapter of Queen Anne's Lace (or I think it will be, your guess is as good as mine). Does anybody else unconsciously lick their lips when they see or read about someone else doing it or is it just me? I makes reading fanfiction a workout for my tongue sometimes *wink*wink*.
> 
> See chapter 1 for disclaimers and warnings.

Chapter 2 – The Brewing Storm

It was a sad, sad day in the Zaraki manor. This was an unusual thing for the manor's occupants were quite used to death, they were labeled the “crime “district after all, due to the fact that most of the district consisted of the slums of the Seireitei. Actually mourning over someone’s death wasn’t an act often done. They hadn't even grieved for their old boss when he'd been killed and replaced by Zaraki-san. That death, though, had been one for the better; although Zaraki was a scary man, he was a far improvement from the previous Boss. 

The workers of the house knew not to bother the grieving man and dare risk suffering his wrath, no, they left the confrontations to his lieutenants. Nobody saw the man for several days. Rumors and gossip were whispers through the vents and behind closed doors in secretive, hushed tones. The body of Muguruma Kensei had been whisked away by some Hae District people. Tosen promised there would be an investigation but due to its location and nature of the crime, the whole thing was very hush hush. 

The day before the funeral was when Kenpachi finally resurfaced. It had been just a normal day and everyone in the house was scurrying around doing their jobs, when suddenly the Boss appeared at in midst of all the activity. Everyone froze in place and stared at the man wearily, waiting for his reaction to guide theirs. He didn't look very well. There were dark bags under his eyes, which were almost unperceivably puffy. His hair seemed limp and lifeless compared to its usual upright strictness. What was probably the most noticeable and shocking thing was that Yachiru was nowhere to be seen, which was unfathomable. 

He stood awkwardly in the doorway for a long minute before simply saying, "I'm going out" and he left. The houses remaining occupants looked around at each other wearily before calling for the lieutenants. They would know what to do. 

 

Kenpachi hadn't known where he was going when he left and ended up wandering around aimlessly. That being said, he wasn't surprised when he ended up standing in front of the little flower shop from before. He just stood at the door for the longest time, staring at its shabby little sign in wonder. He never noticed when someone appeared at the door and watched him gazing at the shop. He also would never admit to jumping a little when that person spoke. 

"Are you just going to stare at it all day or are you going to come in and check out my fresh shipment of Marigolds?" 

"I don't know," Kenpachi said with a weak smile looking down at the dark haired women, "the view is kinda nice now." 

"Just get in here you big baka. I think the hot summer air is starting to get to your head." Hanataro smiled.

"You're kinda bossy. I distinctively remember last time I was here you were a cowering mess before my intimidating presence." Kenpachi grumbled. 

"Last time you were here I had just discovered that the amazing Kenny Yachiru always went on about was actually Zaraki-sama, boss of the Kaiju District. You guys don't have a good reputation you know? When you appear in places, people tend to go missing. What was I supposed to expect?" Hanataro asked as he tied his hair back with a white ribbon. Today he was wearing a simple white tank top overlaid by a chocolate brown leather jacket that matched well with his russet brown skirt with lace overlay that fell to just above his knees. To pull the whole look together, black combat boots adorned his feet. He looked pretty bad ass and yet still very feminine and delicate at the same time. Kenpachi was impressed.

“Yeah, I guess you have a point.” Kenpachi agreed grudgingly. “Why are you so confident now then?”

“There is such a thing as false confidence. Faking it through a fearful situation sometimes works better than exposing just how afraid you actually are. Not that you would ever have use of that particular strategy I’m assuming. In truth though, you look like you could use a friendly ear to listen to your woes rather than a frightful acquaintance. Is there anything you would like to talk about?” Hanataro questioned softly, he didn’t want to insult the man but he knew from experience that talking about things really did help.

Kenpachi glared at the girl for a long moment, almost as if he was sizing her up. She posed no threat to him right? She couldn’t possibly have been the one to do that to Kensei, she was too small to be able to take on a man of Kensei’s stature and Kenpachi just couldn’t see the girl doing it. She was far too nice and his gut told him that he could trust her. It wasn’t like he followed the rules much anyways. A few details couldn’t hurt the investigation, right?

"A close friend of mine was murdered. Quite brutally I might add, and for no obvious reason. Kensei was a good man; he was the one keeping the rest of us in line. He wouldn't have gone and got himself caught up in anything bad. He was just murdered for no reason. I vow to get revenge for his death but for now it is in the hands of the Hae District." Kenpachi growled, not happy about that aspect of the situation. He preferred to do his...business on his own but someone had called for Tosen while he was, well, grieving, and too focused on that than on anything else, like funeral preparations and stuff. It was probably better that he left all that to his lieutenants anyhow.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. Nobody should have to suffer through something like that. That is just completely dreadful." Hanataro said remorsefully. "There's no wonder why you look so lost and distant then. You're grieving. It won’t help any but I'm sorry for your loss." 

"Oh, it was...its...I..." He was at a loss for words. He wasn't sure how exactly he felt at the moment. Before, he would responded with hate and vengeance, like he responds to everything, but at the moment he wasn't feeling any of those adrenaline ridden emotions that usually drive him. He felt lost and just plain out sad about Kensei's brutal death. They were - had been - good friends after all. This was a new feeling for Kenpachi, though; he'd never really grieved the death of another in his life. Other than Yachiru and Kensei, he’d never really felt much of anything for anyone else other than the adrenalin ridden emotions of battle. 

"You don't have to explain yourself, Kenpachi-sama. I understand." Hanataro smiled softly, reassuringly, and suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, Kenpachi didn't feel quite so alone.

Hanataro turned around suddenly and disappeared into the back. Kenpachi stood there awkwardly, wondering what he should do, but before he could come to a decision Hanataro appeared again, holding a small collection of brightly flowers held together with a pure white ribbon. He held them out to Kenpachi, who just eyed the bouquet like it was going to bite him. 

"Here, take them, for your friend." Hanataro explained. "The colorful flowers on the outside are Sweet Peas, they symbolize departure, good bye, and ‘thank you for a lovey time’. The lone pink flower in the middle is a carnation. It means ‘I’ll never forget you’." The flower expert blushed then, suddenly embarrassed for being so passionate. Offhandedly Kenpachi noticed that the blush looked absolutely adorable on those delicate cheeks and thought that they should hold that color more often. 

"I know the flowers are kind of girly and probably aren't your kind of thing, being the handsome, macho man that you are, but they mean nice things and would send his spirit away on good terms at the funeral." Hanataro stammered out. Kenpachi slowly processed the words, his brain working like mush because of all the turmoil going on up there. It was very nice of the woman to be so thoughtful for someone she’d never even met before. Then a shit-eating grin stole across his face suddenly as he plucked the flowers from Hanataro's delicate hands.

"So you think I'm handsome?" He asked cheekily. Hanataro thought back over his earlier words and then flushed before all the blood in his body seemed to rush to his face.

"That's not what I...well you...I mean anybody can...I'm leaving now. Have a nice day, considering." He stuttered out before making a break for the back. 

Well that would just not do for Kenpachi. He jumped the counter and grabbed the back of Hanataro's jacket and yanked back sharply before the woman could escape his reach.

Hanataro, as tiny as he was and having suddenly lost his momentum, lost his balance and couldn't help but fall backwards. Instead of hitting the hard, unforgiving floor though, he fell into the equally hard and unforgiving, but warm arms of Kenpachi. He couldn't help but sigh a bit, relishing in the feeling before tilting his head back and meeting the dark, stormy eyes of the Kaiju District's yakuza boss. 

"Hello there." He said before really thinking about it. He was too busy enjoying his current position of being held by the strong, attractive man to think about words or even how embarrassed he should be.

"Hello yourself." Was the husky reply.

As Hanataro fell into the endless crazy abyss of Kenpachi's eyes, the man in question did the same to him. Almost unconsciously he began to creep closer, pulling Hanataro towards his body. The small body fit so well against his. His eyes dropped to the pink, moist lips that were slightly open and breathing shallowly as they were nervously licked. Kenpachi watched that tongue taunt him while unconsciously repeating the action. He bent forward suddenly, about to catch those inviting lips in an awkward, upside down kiss, when Hanataro yanked himself out of Kenpachi's practically unrelenting arms. The sudden coldness left in his place snapped Kenpachi out of the daze Hanataro had put him in.

Hanataro silently berated himself for being such an idiot. The man had almost kissed him! He was sure of it and just as surely in that moment, Hanataro had lost his nerve. He couldn't believe he had just screwed up and opportunity like that. He was so stupid. He turned back to the confused looking Kenpachi and laughed nervously, trying to cover all the awkward with a false cheery bravo. 

"Hey, I still haven't shown you that new shipment of Marigolds. Come look at them, they’re gorgeous." He grabbed Kenpachi's hand and intertwined their fingers together, he could handle that much, and pulled the large man into the far back of the store.

Kenpachi allowed himself to be dragged along like Yachiru tended to drag him around. He looked at their intertwined hands and then at the back of Hanataro's head, confused. He'd been so sure that Hanataro wanted to kiss him too, so why pull away? Had he actually been wrong? Maybe the little minx already had someone. Was he just forcing himself onto someone who honestly didn't want him? Why hold his hand like that then? Women were a lot easier to understand when he was paying for their services. 

He faintly registered that the warm and firm grip on his hand was released so Hanataro could inspect and look at her shipment of flowers and gesture wildly at whatever she was trying to explain to him. They were pretty yellow flowers Kenpachi noted, but not as pretty as the person standing in front of him at the moment, looking so beautiful with the sun hitting her face from the sunlight streaming through the windows of the back entrance to the store. He noticed that Hanataro was talking a lot, trying to explain something to him, but all he could focus on was those damn taunting lips. He could only focus on the lips themselves, not what was actually coming out of them. He wanted, no needed, to kiss them, at least just to see what they would feel like on his, maybe even taste. He licked his own lips at the thought.

Only because he was staring so intently at those lips, did he notice they had stopped moving, stopped talking. When he looked up to see what was up, he saw that Hanataro's gaze was directed as his lips! He licked them again and watched as those quick eyes avidly track the movement. He did it again and they followed and he noticed that the second time Hanataro mirrored the action by licking her own. He was right after all; Hanataro did want to kiss him after all! He grinned victoriously and grabbed Hanataro's arm, pulling the lithe body against his. He latched an arm around the small waist and grabbed the back of Hanataro's neck to prevent her from escaping. Hanataro's arms came up and her hands pushed weakly at his chest but he ignored them.

"Hanataro," he growled, "I know for a fact that you want to kiss me just as much as I want to kiss you right now so you're going to stop resisting and just kiss me damn it." Before Hanataro could try to argue, Kenpachi struck.

It started out a bit harsh and punishing, because of all the useless resisting, but when the hands at his chest stop struggling and the small, lithe body in his arms just seemed to melt in his arms, Kenpachi relented at bit and backed off, kissing soft and gentle, relishing just in the feel of the small, moist lips against his. He wondered if Hanataro used some sort of chap stick or gloss to keep them that moist. He tongue darted out for a taste. 

She didn't. The lips tasted purely like Hanataro, like they'd never been contaminated by anything, or anyone, ever. Kenpachi like the sound of that, of he being Hanataro's first. He would be the only one to touch his Hana like this. He smiled faintly, his Hana, he liked the sound of that, he liked that a lot. He decided to push his luck and try to taste the rest of that delicious mouth with his tongue and forced those lips apart.

He growled viciously at the whimper that erupted from his Hana's mouth when their tongues met. He yanked Hanataro's head impossibly closer and kiss the tease for all of his little minx's worth. Just when he was about to shove Hanataro up against the wall and really show her how it’s done, the door slammed open and hit the adjoining wall with a loud crash, causing the kissing couple to jump apart in surprise.

"What the fucking hell is going on here?!" The man who'd done the door kicking screamed. Kenpachi shoved Hanataro behind him protectively before growling at the man. He had just gotten interrupted. He. Was. Not. Happy. 

"Just who the fuck are you?" He shot back. Before the man could answer though, Hanataro peeked her head around Kenpachi's large form and eyed the newcomer. 

"Ganju." He sighed in relief. Ganju, however, was not as relieved, in fact, he seemed to get even angrier at Hanataro's ease. Kenpachi met his eyes and seemed to ask for an explanation using just his eyebrows to convey the message. 

"This is my hotheaded business neighbor and the best friend. He tends to be far too overprotective of me and blows his top before hearing the complete story. As he looks like he's just about to do now." Hanataro explained quickly, eyeing the space between the testosterone giants in the room. If he didn't do something quick things could get messy.

"Gan-chan, please hear me out before you act without thinking again. Remember what happened last time?" Hanataro tried to reason. The other man, however, would hear nothing of it. All he knew was that he'd walked in to this giant bear thinly disguised as a man trying to dominate his poor Hana-chan. When were these creeps ever going to learn? He charged. 

Not known for restraint, especially when it comes to a fight, Kenpachi allowed his tense form to relax and start to slip into a more comfortable fighting stance. A noise from behind him, an exclamation from Hanataro who obviously about to get involved to try and stop the obvious fight about to form, succeeded in cooling his fighting rage and brought him back to a more level head. He had to try and end his as soon as possible before anything serious, like Hanataro getting hurt, could happen. Switching to his barely used defense, he was prepared to catch the obvious right hook that this Ganju was about the throw at him. He was also ready for the left jab at his side when he purposefully left it open. He was not, however, prepared for the head butt that Ganju threw (?) at his face when his hands were taken out of commission. For that, Kenpachi probably deserved the head butt to the nose that he received. The sharp pain exploded between his eyes, pulling unwelcome tears to them, and caused him to release the hold on the man's hands. He put his hands to his face to try to strive off the blood and to hide the naturally occurring tears. Real men never cried during battle. 

He watched as the man in front of him reeled back for another strike, still lost in his rage, but before he could strike again, Hanataro jumped out from behind Kenpachi with a broom and smacked Ganju on the head with it (the sweepy side, not the handle side). Ganju sputtered and fell back in confusion. 

"Ganju! What the hell is the matter with you! Where are your manners? You can't just go attacking any man who gets within 100 meters of me. It's not ethical nor your place. I had better hear an apology out of you before Kenny leaves or I will not speak to you for a week!" Hanataro yelled furiously. He was also far too furious to notice his slip. Kenpachi, however, was not, and his heart warmed at the sight of this fiery woman defending him and calling him by a pet name. 

Hanataro, then remembering himself, flushed and wiped back around to the injured man behind him and frowned at the sight he was met with. He yanked his apron over his head and balled it up before pressing it to the man's still gushing nose that was covered by almost equally bloody hands. Head wounds were such gushers. 

"I'm sorry for that Kenpachi-sama. Ganju means well but sometimes he just doesn't think before he acts. By the looks of all this blood I'd have to say your nose is probably broken. I can reset it for you after some of this bleeding slows down. You didn't have to try and protect me you know - yes I saw that - I can take care of myself, and also Ganju would never hurt me. And if someone is attacking you defend yourself! God knows you're perfectly capable of it. Don't let yourself get hurt because you don't want to upset me." Hanataro scolded while gently applying pressure to the injury in front of him. Ganju always told him he was practically just as good a healer as we was with flowers. He says that if the business does fall through, he could probably land another job working under Urahara-sama in the Namekuji District just by walking in the door, he was that good. Ganju always was a bit of an exaggerator though. He felt along Kenpachi's nose gingerly, feeling for any breaks and sure enough there was one.

"Yup," he said, "it sure is broken. Ganju isn't lacking in the tough guy department that's for sure."

Hanataro briefly looked up from the injury to see Kenpachi glaring over his head at Ganju. Hanataro took that distraction for an opening and grabbed the broken nose tightly before yanking it back into place and then darting out of arms reach in case Kenpachi was one of the times to get a little friendly with the fists when in pain. 

Kenpachi's hand flew back up to cover his face as he howled in pain. Not a lot of people could hurt him, not if he didn't allow then to that is, so in all the time working in the crime district he'd never received a broken nose. It hurt damn it! Kenpachi was too busy with his nose to notice Hanataro throw a disgusted glare at Ganju and see the man rub the back of his head shamefully. 

After Kenpachi stopped howling and cussing in pain (being a giant baby in Ganju's opinion) Hanataro led him to a small sink for Kenpachi and himself to wash their bloody hands off with. Hanataro hid his blush behind the curtain of his hair when Kenpachi and his soapy hands brushed each other. Kenpachi-sama sure had big hands. (*wink*wink*).

Ganju watched Hanataro closely as the pair worked at the sink and while the giant brute of a man might have missed Hanataro's blush, he hadn't. As he watched he concluded that maybe it wasn't like he thought, maybe the mean and dangerous yakuza boss wasn't forcing himself onto Hanataro, who tended to be a bit helpless at times. Maybe, just maybe, the giant had honorable intentions. As the taller man turned away from the sink Ganju stuck out his hand and glared at him. Kenpachi cracked a smile at the challenge shining in the Ganju's eyes and grabbed the offered hand. A brief match of strength ensued before Ganju nodded slightly and pulled away. Message received. Ganju turned to Hanataro.

"I'm sorry for the trouble and for hurting your boyfriend here." He grinned, winking at the feminine man. As Hanataro sputtered and blushed, trying to say that Kenpachi was not his boyfriend (no matter how much he wanted him to be), Ganju turned on his heels and walked away. 

"I'll talk to you later Hana-chan." Then he was gone, probably running back to the shop to tell Kukkaku what had happened. Hanataro turned to Kenpachi with a red face.

"I am so sorry for all of this Kenpachi-sama." He said. 

"There's nothing for you to be apologizing for. None of this was your fault. I probably shouldn't have been so forward in the first place. It’s never okay for a man to force himself upon a lady." Hanataro frowned slightly. He had forced himself on him? How could the man be anymore wrong? He opened his mouth to correct the man but before he could utter a word Kenpachi glanced at his watch.

"I really must be going. There are still some things to prepare before the funeral." Kenpachi picked up the bundle of flowers that had been set aside, and thankfully not injured in the fight, and left with one last line.

"Thanks for the flowers Hana-chan. Kensei would have appreciated it."

"Wa-" He was gone. Hanataro frowned and let his hand drop. How had things declined so quickly? First he was getting the kiss of his life and then he was being dismissed. Why did Ganju have to interrupt? 

Hanataro looked out the window. The beautiful sun that had been shining earlier was now hidden behind a wall of dark and intimidating looking clouds. A storm was coming and the sinking feeling in his gut told him that this was just the beginning. 

There would be more horrors yet to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And that’s a wrap. This is mostly filler and fluff with a hint of the brewing storm to come, both literally and figuratively. Sorry if the gender thing gets confusing. I switch back and forth for POVs in a scene to express both character’s in-moment reactions and such but with Kenpachi thinking Hanataro is a female and all, it can get kind of confusing. For clarification, Hanataro is a boy, likes being a boy, but he just likes wearing female’s clothes and can’t be bothered to correct people who think he’s a girl. The truth will come out at some point but for now I like keeping Kenpachi out of the loop. Until then, may the confusion persevere. 
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	3. Playthings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The funeral proceedings are about as shitty as Kenpachi imagined they would be before they are interrupted by police force boss Tousen who brings some important news regarding the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I really am sorry for being so infrequent with the updates, especially considering this started as a birthday gift. I could cite a thousand excuses or just say life happened and it sucks but here I am and so is this chapter. Thanks a million and one for all of those who followed it anyways and waited for a continuation that seemed like would never happen. 
> 
> See chapter 1 for disclaimers and warnings.

Chapter 3 – Playthings

As arduous as the reality of the situation was to accept, the day of Kensei’s funeral could have come straight off the script of a trashy drama television show. It had been overcast all day until a torrential downpour started up the moment they made to say the last few words before putting him in the ground. Most of the individuals who stayed to endure the terrible weather were members of the staff from Zaraki manor; partly made up of individuals who actually knew him on some level and were there to morn his death, but mostly made up of those who didn’t dare risk invoking the Boss’ ire in this strained and perplexing time. Unfortunately, Kensei didn’t have very many family members who were still alive to attend his funeral. At the very least, Kenpachi would have expected to see the face of Kuna Mashiro, Kensei’s niece from his late brother’s family and practically the only living family member Kensei had remained in good relations with, but it would seem that even she hadn’t opted for an appearance either. Kenpachi couldn’t think of anything that could really make this day go any worse than how it had already progressed. 

If current events hadn’t already put him in a mood for obvious reasons, how yesterday’s proceedings had ended with Hanataro would have done it for him. It probably hadn’t been a smart idea to visit the shop in the first place. He was in an emotionally compromising situation and not thinking with his usual level of clarity and so going to see the woman that he might have more than platonic feelings for wasn’t a good or healthy way of attempting to start any sort of romantic relationship. It was just, after having lost his close friend and also not having Yachiru around at that point in time to ground him, he’d felt lost and unsure of how he should be reacting to his friend’s death. He wanted to rage and go on a man hunt for the killer himself, but he knew doing that would only mess things up for the investigation and end up doing more harm than good. At least, that was what Yumichika had convinced him of the day that the body was found. In his confusion, he sought out the next individual who made him feel things he hadn’t thought he was entirely capable of experiencing. Mindsets like that, though, typically led to behaviors that were not conducive to possibly starting any sort of healthy romantic or sexual relationship in. Like somewhat forcing someone into a passionate kiss after they had already expressed some hesitation and nervousness, for instance. Especially since they knew next to nothing about each other and had only just met several days before. Though it wasn’t any sort of excuse, Hanataro just struck some cord inside him that enticed passion and romance that the women he paid for from the Inoshishi District seemed to lack, even the ones that he felt he had some chemistry with on some level. Yesterday he had just gone and mucked everything up. He just hoped that he hadn’t ruined things for good and lost any chance of forming any sort of relationship with a classy woman like Hanataro. She seemed to enjoy the kiss at least, if that was any sort of consolation. 

Despite those thoughts, as he lay the flowers Hanataro had given him on the casket, he still wished that the woman was standing here next to him to provide him with a bit of comfort to get through these grueling times without actually killing someone. He was a district boss now. He needed to have a higher level of self-control than what he allowed himself in his youth. People depended on him now. Plus, he’d hate to see the disappointed, or hell frightened, look on the girl’s face when she found out he had problems controling his temper and violent urges. 

It was then, interrupting both his inner turmoil and his final moments with his departed friend, that 1st division squad leader (*like leader of police force for homicides in Japan? This was what I found from a Wikipedia article*) and district boss of the Hae District, Tousen Kaname, decided to make an unexpected appearance. Kenpachi doubted he was there to pay his respects so some important development must have been made with the case that couldn’t have waited until after the proceedings were concluded. He was instantly on guard. 

“Goshuushou-sama desu, Zaraki-san.” 

“Yeah, well, I doubt that you and your lieutenants showed up here simply to pay your respects to Kensei so why the hell are you here?” Kenpachi asked gruffly, wanting to get straight to the point. 

“There has been an unforeseen development in the case. We feel that it would be safer for you to be taken to a more secure location in order to discuss the events that have occurred and what actions should be taken as a result.” Tousen replied. 

“It better be some pretty major fucking development for you to be coming to his funeral like this and demanding that I leave.” Kenpachi growled.

“I will not go into any details on the matter until we have relocated.” Tousen replied, somewhat aloof. 

“Well could you at least wait a few more minutes?” Kenpachi snapped back. “We were just about to put him in the ground when you decided to show up.” 

Tousen frowned unapprovingly but, smartly, decided against trying to fight with the stubborn man and relented. “You have approximately five minutes to make peace with his passing before we need to get going.” 

“Fuckin’ unfeeling prick.” Kenpachi grumbled at his departure. If Tousen heard him, he wisely said nothing in return. 

He wasn’t the type to visit the gravestones of the dearly departed and so this would be the last time he would have a chance to say anything to Kensei. Kenpachi paid his final respects to his friend as they lowered him into the hole and began to pile on the dirt. The flora would quickly die under the weight of the dirt being piled on but he had also buried him with his beloved Tachikaze. Hopefully that would help him fight off whatever demons that might lay on the other side. It obviously didn’t hold up to the ones found on this one. 

He dismissed his lieutenants and an uncharacteristically subdued Yachiru and instructed them to meet them at the station after Tousen confirmed that was where they would be going. He elected to ride with the standoffish man in order to try and bully details out of him that may not be prudent to be given elsewhere, but the man was insufferably true to character and refused to speak any details on an open case before the decision was made that it could aid the investigation in some manner. In fact, none of the other three occupants in the car seemed to be of the chatty variety either. The driver and Tousen’s somewhat new second lieutenant, Sado something or other, didn’t look to be much of a talkative person in general and the other, his first lieutenant Hisagi Shuuhei, briefly offered his condolences about Kensei’s death before lapsing back into a gloomy silence. Kenpachi didn’t pay much attention at the all-hands meetings where all of the district bosses and their lieutenants got together, mainly because they were boring as fuck and often risked putting him to sleep with their dullness, so he didn’t really know much about the members of other districts. This Hisagi fellow had the same “69” tattoo on his face that he knew Kensei to have on his chest. He wondered if the two had history of some kind but couldn’t really bring himself to care enough to ask the guy. 

He was surprised and off-put when he was directed into an interrogation room not too long after arrival but he used the extra time and space to shed a few wet layers and use the small towel he’d been given to dry himself off. Tousen showed back up and entered the room just as he’d pretty much gotten his hair back in standing order. 

“What the fuck am I doing here Tousen?” Kenpachi growled. The man had better start talking soon and actually start explaining what the hell was going on here or Kenpachi was going to start wreaking havoc, reputation be damned. 

Tousen calmly took a seat opposite him and placed a folder on top of the table but didn’t move to open it and reveal its contents. 

“Zaraki-san, might I ask where you were yesterday between the hours of two and four o’clock in the afternoon?” 

“What the fuck? What do you mean ‘where was I”? What does that have to do with whoever killed Kensei?” He exclaimed. 

“Could you just answer the question? Some of your staff have already confirmed that you left the manor, alone, within that time frame. Do you have an alibi or someone to confirm your whereabouts?”

“Alibi! What the fucking hell is going on here? Why am I being questioned?” Kenpachi yelled angrily. Tousen merely raised a brow and refused to elaborate any further. Kenpachi relented, if only to possibly get some answers from this infuriating individual. 

“Fuck. I met with a friend of mine yesterday during that time. She owns a flower shop in the Kujaku District.” 

“Could you provide the name of the shop?” The bastard asked.

“Ban Garden or some shit. It’s right next to an ugly ass fireworks shop.” Kenpachi said gruffly. 

“And this shop owner would testify to your whereabouts if given the chance?” 

“I don’t fucking know! You would have to ask her. That’s where I was yesterday when I left the manor and I brought some flowers back that I buried with Kensei. Why am I being questioned when Kensei’s killer is still out there? Do you for a moment think that I have something to do with his death?” He asked incredulously. 

“No, I don’t. But with this new development I have to check all possible channels. I will be contacting this shop owner and verifying your alibi.” And with that he opened that mysterious folder and placed several photographs in front of Kenpachi. 

Without even having to look all that closely, Kenpachi could tell that the person in these pictures was Mashiro. The wavy lime green hair and goggles were a dead (*no pun intended*) giveaway. She was wearing the white and orange jumpsuit she often adorned when she was doing her “superhero” work. Kensei had once told him that Mashiro had some sort of developmental disorder that caused her to think and act younger than she actually was and one of these childish ideas she held was that she was a superhero that would one day go to rid the world of all evil. This hero work mainly involved her running around and helping old ladies cross the street (and the like) and learning martial arts/gymnastics so that she could one day beat up bad guys. Kensei was worried that she would one day go too far and get herself hurt so that was why he kept such a close eye on her despite having been forsaken by pretty much everyone else left alive in his family. 

From what Kenpachi could tell from the photographs, her own orange scarf had been used to effectively gag her. Her hands were tied behind her back, which wouldn’t have mattered too much considering she specialized in kicking and other leg moves, except that her attacker seemed to have took care of that as well. Her legs appeared to be broken and twisted in several places and in such a fashion that it would have been hard to identify their original alignment and purpose if all humans weren’t born with the same general system. She, like Kensei, seemed to have some of the same cylindrical protrusions inserted into her person, but they were far less in number and seemed to be more for holding her in place rather than used as an obvious torture device as they’d been with Kensei. Additionally, they seemed to be the only flesh altering torment she was made to endure. Unlike Kensei, with her the killer seemed to focus less on carving and cutting into her, and more on crushing, breaking, and twisting her body past the natural limitations of the human body. The contortions and distortion done to her body left her somehow looking decisively less humanoid if that was even possible. This kind of work would most likely have taken more than several hours to achieve and she likely would have been alive and conscious through a good majority of it, at least, before the major contortions were done and she either fainted or just plain out died from the extensive amount of pain she suffered though. 

Left by her body was a note which looked to be written in in crayon. It simply read:

Play we did but hero she did not turn out to be. Maybe next time a few rules need to be broken for real fun to be had. 

“Kuna Mashiro’s body was found this morning.” Tousen started to explain after Kenpachi seemed to have looked his fill of the photographs. “We believe her to have been tortured and killed for a period of time, sometime between two and six yesterday afternoon. The method of operation for this murder is so drastically different from the other that we almost thought that this to be a different case but the note, cylinders, and familial tie to Kensei all point to the two being connected and so the killer must be trying to throw us off by changing their MO so drastically.” 

“Why are you sharing all of this with me Tousen? Five minutes ago you were accusing me of being the very person to have committed these horrendous acts.” Kenpachi tried to demand but his anger and overall energy seemed to have been sapped from him in light of what he’d just learned. Now he was just confused and drained. 

“I never believed you to be the cause of these deaths in the first place, which is why I’ve released these details before checking your alibi, but since they seemed to be tied to Kensei and people he knew, people that were close to him have to be looked at. These could be serial crimes of passion to target specific individuals that are tied to Kensei in some manner. Maybe he wronged someone somewhere and now they are out for him and everyone he was close to.” Tousen frowned then, like he was about to say something unpleasant and knew it wouldn’t sit well with Kenpachi, which would result in more work for him. 

“I’ve shared these details with you for several reasons. The first being that you are, in fact, a district boss and like the others, you need to be privy to more details than the general public in order to command those under you and keep them as safe as possible. I’ve shared this much detail with you only because of your close connection to the people involved in the case and I know that you would cause more hell for me otherwise, likely complicating the case further by trying to find out more details. However I would caution you against sharing any of this with anyone else as that could lead to details being leaked to the public that could disturb our investigation and give the killer a hint at where we are in the investigative process. Lastly, because the killer seems to be targeting people with whom Kensei shared a close connection with, we would like you to agree to being assigned a guard from my men and moved to a safe house of sorts, for your own safety of course.” 

This was probably the most that Kenpachi had ever heard Tousen speak ever and the longer it seemed to go on, the more horrifying it seemed to get. So they just expected him to agree to being thrown in the equivalent of a dressed up prison cell and put under careful watch, all under the guise of it being for his own good and protection? He opened his mouth to argue, to tell the uptight bastard exactly where he could put his ‘assigned guard’, and tell him he could take care of himself but then he stopped. Yachiru and his lieutenants, who were likely waiting just outside of the room, came to the forefront of his mind. Sure he could protect himself but there was also several people who depended on him and he would be hard pressed to try and protect them all as well if push came to shove. Hanataro also flashed through his thoughts. He’d only interacted with the woman twice so it was unlikely that any killer out for those close to Kensei to reach quite that far down the line for victims, but still, it wouldn’t do to accidentally get her involved in this mess by bringing her to the killer’s attention. 

With no other alternative coming to mind, Kenpachi scowled as he realized he would have to go along with this stupid plan for the moment. How naïve of him to think earlier that the day couldn’t have gotten gloomier than it had already been. Lately everything seemed to be out to prove him wrong. 

Looking at Tousen’s pleased expression, obviously caused by his apparent lack of argument against this stupid plan of theirs, Kenpachi resigned himself to the tortuous hell that was slowly shaping up to be his fucked up life. God help the poor soul who caught the brunt of his stir-crazy, pent up energy and aggravation after a few days of being cooped up in this small “safe” house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yeah, I’m American and so I only know how funerals/burials work here and in the interest of saving a bit of time and a hella ton of research on Japanese death rites, I instead wrote from what I know. Sorry if that offends anyone for its inaccuracy but I’m here to tell a tale and this is a fanfiction so I think I’m allowed a little wiggle room. Also, while the district names are my own, they are the equivalent to the original divisions that make up the Seireitei and so they function pretty much the same and with a few tweaks here and there. 
> 
> This chapter is a little shorter than the others but is a lot heavier so I hope that makes up for it? This fic doesn’t have a beta so any mistakes are my own. Thanks for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading.


End file.
